May 6, 2009 — 8:12 pm — Hopkinton's Annual Town Meeting adjourned this
evening, the shortest in recent memory, following the approval of
stimulus money for the Lake Maspenock dam after an impassioned plea from
lake resident Bea McMullen. Above, Selectman Vice-Chair Mary Pratt sits
out a discussion involving an issue affecting the town-owned Fruit
Street property, of which she is a direct abutter. Derek Dobachesky will
have a full report later tonight. Please check back.

HOORAY!!!

Celia V. Bonaccorso, 91

HOPKINTON -
Celia V. Bonaccorso, 91, died Wednesday, May 6, 2009 in
Milford. She was the wife of the late Anthony Bonaccorso, who died in
1975. Born in Rockville, CT and raised in Woonsocket, RI, she was the
daughter of the late Frank and Josephine (Woodacre) Lemek.

She was employed as a quality control inspector during WWII by the Army
Corp of Engineers. She then was employed in the restaurant industry in
Florida, New York and Cape Cod, and locally at the Uxbridge Inn and
Abner Wheeler House. After retiring from Aritech Corporation of
Framingham, Celia enjoyed her family, her neighbors and her home.

She is survived by her son John and his wife Joan and grandchildren
Matthew and Lindsay, all of Franklin, her sister Lottie Heroux of No.
Smithfield, RI, and her brother John Lemek of Las Vegas, NV. She is
pre-deceased by her brothers Edward and Matthew Lemek and her sisters
Matilda Budnick and Amelia Jaworski.

Private funeral services by the Callanan-Cronin Funeral Home of
Hopkinton will be at the family's convenience.

May 6, 2009
— More than two dozen youthful Hopkinton baseball enthusiasts showed up
to meet Kevin Markey, the author of The Super Sluggers, at the
Hopkinton Public Library this afternoon. Above, Mr. Markey engages some
nearby children in conversation. Those wearing Red Sox gear were
eligible for door prizes.

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Reward Offered For Information
Regarding 1989 Woburn Unsolved Case

Melanie Melanson Disappeared Five Days
Before Her 15th Birthday After Party In Woods With Group Of
Friends

WOBURN–
May 6, 2009 — A reward is being offered for information leading to the
discovery of the body of Melanie
Melanson,
a girl who disappeared five days before her 15th birthday
after a party in the woods with a group of friends, Middlesex District
Attorney Gerry Leone, the Woburn Police Department, and members of
Melanie's family announced today.

At a press conference held
today at the location in Woburn where Melanie was last seen, Middlesex
District Attorney Gerry Leone, Woburn Police, and the family of Melanson
announced the $5000 reward that is now being offered for new information
that leads to the discovery of her body.

“Nearly 20 years ago, Melanie
Melanson went into these woods behind me with a group of friends,”
District Attorney Leone said. “She was never seen again. We are asking
the public’s help in finding Melanie as part of our continuing efforts
to determine the circumstances of her death.

“No information at this stage is
insignificant,” Leone added. “There were people who were with Melanie at
the time, as well as people who have been told information since her
disappearance. We ask them to come forward to help us solve this painful
mystery that Melanie’s family has had to live with for the last 20
years.”

“It has been nearly 20 years
since we lost Melanie,” Maryann Masciulli, Melanie’s aunt, said. “We are
asking anyone with information to examine their conscience and please
step forward so that we can give Melanie the burial that she deserves.”

According to authorities, on the evening of
October 27, 1989, 14-year-old Melanie Melanson, a freshman at Woburn
High School, was in a set of woods near the Woburn/Stoneham line at a
party with a group of friends. In the early morning hours, Melanie
remained with a group of five other friends. That was the last time that
Melanie was ever seen or heard from again.

In the ensuing days and
months, family members, friends, and local law enforcement conducted
extensive searches to find Melanie. That search included the use of
cadaver dogs, dive teams in local waters, and repeated ground searches
by local police. She was never located.

The District Attorney’s
Office and Woburn Police are presently conducting an active
investigation and following new leads that have been developed. The
reward and request for the public’s help is part of those continuing
efforts to develop further evidence regarding Melanie’s whereabouts and
the circumstances of her death.

Members of the public with
information that they believe would be helpful to the investigation can
contact the Woburn Police Department at 781-933-1212 x853 or State
Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office at
781-897-6650.

The $5000 reward money is being offered by the Carole Sund/Carrington
Memorial Reward Foundation which is committed to raising awareness to
the issue of missing persons who have gone missing under suspicious
circumstances (www.carolesundfoundation.com).

1 Put some
non-perishable food items in a bag Saturday May 9th, place it by
your mailbox

2 Your Letter
Carrier will pick it up and bring it to Project just Because Food
Pantry

Project Just
Because will be open Saturday May 9th 11am - Through 5 pm for all
drop off of food for anyone who just wants to come by with the food
as in past years come anytime during these hours. Address 45 South
Street, Unit G last door of building. Front and Back doors will be
open.

The following items
are needed for Project Just Because Hopkinton Food Pantry

All Donations
are appreciated, this is the last drive before summer and our
shelves need filling for all those Hopkinton residents and seniors
who need our help. Tax receipts are available everyday we are open
year round

May 6, 2009 — Once a
month at the SeniorCenter, the tables in the craft room are
filled with all different kinds of paints, brushes, cups of water, paper
towels and sometimes even Dunkin’ Munchkins or homemade chocolate chip
cookies! These Thursdays at 1 pm are for Linda Schrier’s Decorative
Painting classes, where she teaches the seniors different types of
painting techniques, using all kinds of mediums such as acrylic and
glass paints.

Among the items they
have painted over the past two years include birdhouses, vases, wooden
snowmen and little wooden treasure boxes. Each class costs only $2.00
and includes all supplies needed; Linda volunteers her time to teach.
I’ve been to a few of the classes and have seen many of the “works of
art” and they’ve all been awesome! Everyone has their own unique style
and like Linda says, “No two will ever look alike.”

“She makes it sound so
easy,” said Joyce Plucker. This week they were painting a pretty
floral design on a glass plate. About painting on glass? “It’s much
harder,” said Irene Sciretta. “Oh, but you can scrape it off if you
make a mistake,” said Barbara Cerutti. A few were going to keep their
plates, the others were going to give them away to children or
grandchildren.

I asked Linda how she
got her ideas each month. She said that sometimes she sees pictures of
things she likes in craft magazines and knows her “students” will like
them too. She brings all the supplies and for a special added
surprise, she usually brings some sort of sweet treat, like her homemade
chocolate chip cookies!

One of the best parts
of teaching this class for Linda is making new friends. When she moved
here from Michigan, she didn’t know anyone, so
volunteering at the senior center helped her to meet lots of new
people. Of course, we all know that anyone who visits the HopkintonSeniorCenter will meet some of the friendliest
people on earth!

For the month of May,
the class will be painting on clay flowerpots-- the date is the 14th
at 1 pm. There is a sample on display at the front desk, it’s very
pretty! Please call the center to make your reservation with Linda.
You’ll have a great time!

Don’t forget the
Birthday Lunch! It’s always the 2nd Thursday of the month,
which makes it on the 14th this time. It’s delicious, nutritious, fun
and FREE! Birthday cake included! Make sure you call the center in
advance to make your reservation.

Another special event
this month is the Plant Sale. That’s coming up on the 22, 29 and 30,
but I’ll have more info about that later.

Did you remember to
sign up for the Southborough Rod and Gun Club’s FREE Senior Dinner? It
will be held on Saturday, May 16 at 4 pm. They have limited seating,
so make sure that you do call ahead and if you need transportation,
please request at the same time.

That’s it for now, so
if you have any comments or suggestions, you can email me:
Punkala@aol.com. Until next time, have a great week!

HOORAY!!!

Norman Khumalo, Town Reach Agreement

May 6, 2009 —The Board of Selectmen, through labor counsel and Chairman
Brian Herr, came to an agreement "in principle" yesterday with Norman
Khumalo, to hire him as Hopkinton's newest Town Manager.

The final contract, which needs some language changes, has not been
completed, according to Mr. Herr.

Only then will a start date be designated.

REMINDER

HOPKINTON POLICE ASSOCIATION

12th Annual 2009
Fishing Derby

• Saturday
May 9 •

• 9am
– 12 noon •

Saturday
May 9th – (rain date Saturday May 16th)
• 9am – 12 noon •

Hopkinton Sportsman’s Club, 95 Lumber Street - by Hopkinton Police

• Free to all children
• Free T-Shirt to all
children who register

•
Pre-registration can be made by calling the station
(508)497-3401

•
Pond will be stocked with trout •
Bait will be provided

•
Prizes will be awarded throughout the day with a trophy
presentation shortly after 12 noon.

Please be aware that there is no Annual
Town Meeting tonight Tuesday, May 5th.

The Special Town Meeting will start at
7 PM on Weds, May 6th.

The Annual Town
Meeting will resume following the Special Town Meeting on Wednesday
night.

~ Town Clerk, Ann Click

NOTE: The reasoning behind skipping Tuesday, according to
Selectmen Vice-Chair Mary Pratt, was because so many articles had
already been passed, and it might take only one hour to wrap up the rest
of the business. It saves money to not open the building and pay
workers, she said.

ESL
all-ages cast spring Musical
Written and Directed by Denise
Laumeister
May 9 & 15, 7:30 p.m.
May 10 & 16, 2:00 p.m.
At the Ashland High School Auditorium

See website, left button, for more
details

Moving Along

May 5, 2009
— Workers for FH Perry continued to do the fine finish work for the trim
on the new Veterans memorial Gazebo on the Hopkinton Common yesterday.

"It's going to be beautiful," remarked one.

Buying? Selling? Call one of our experts.

Things are starting to Move!!!

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Town Meeting Spring 2009 — Day One

Skateboard
ban fails ~ Marijuana ban passes

by Derek
Dobachesky

May 5, 2009 — More than 150 Hopkinton residents voted on 42 articles at
the first part of the town's annual meeting, addressing such issues as
the Board of Selectmen's town budget, changing the Board of Public Works
to an elected body and rezoning articles.

The first of two annual town meeting sessions began at 7 p.m. in the
Middle School auditorium. Debate was set to end at 11 p.m. from the
outset, with the remaining 10 articles to be addressed at the second
session on Wednesday, May 6. A special town meeting will be held on
Wednesday, May 6. <--- Correction

The meeting commenced with reports from the Department of Public Works,
the public library, the budget team, the Appropriations Committee, the
School Committee, the Capital Improvements Committee and the Board of
Assessors.

Budget team member Michael Shepard (File photo) presented the team's
reports. According to Shepard, most town departments will
receive level or lower funding for fiscal 2010, which will allow the
town to maintain current tax levels rather than implementing a
Proposition Two and a Half override.

"If your mother owned all of the property in Hopkinton, her tax bill
would not increase," Shepard said. Shepard also said, however, that some
individual property tax bills would increase due to appreciation as a
result of things such as additions,
and tax revenues overall would increase due to economic growth.

Shepard, along with Board member Matt Zettek and School Committee Chair
Nancy Burdick, was a member of the budget team tasked with facilitating
communications between town boards and committees throughout the budget
process.

Stuart Cowart (File photo), a member of the Appropriations Committee,
then presented the Appropriations Committee's report on the budget.

"Payroll,
payroll, payroll makes up this budget," Cowart said. The Appropriations
Committee's figures showed that 67.5 percent of the fiscal year 2010
budget will go towards payroll and benefits. Cowart's presentation also
described 14 town meeting articles that will require spending of a total
of $7 million if passed, but Cowart said those would be paid for by
existing budget items and cost-savings from within departments.

Burdick outlined the School Committee's budget request of
$32,249,725.67, an increase of $595,301 from 2009 funding.
This budget preserves
services and class size,
while avoiding any fee increases, but also eliminates two administrative positions
and cuts funding for supplies. <--- Correction

After hearing these reports, Hopkinton residents unanimously approved
the town budget as well as the School Committee and Sewer Department
budgets.

The Director of the DPW then introduced an article which drew intense
opposition. The article would have urged the Massachusetts General Court
to amend Hopkinton's town charter to make the Board of Public Works an
elected board, which in turn would elect the director of the DPW. The
BPW is currently appointed by the Town Manager, and no mention of the
BPW is made in the town charter.

May 4, 2009
— Town Meeting voted 105 to 52 against Article 14, which would have
codified the Board of Public Works as the hiring authority
for the Director of Public Works. The Town Manager remains as that
authority following tonight's vote.

Board Chair Dan McIntyre presented in favor of the Article, minimizing
its impact by calling it a "housekeeping article." However, passage of
Article 14 would have given Board members Mr. McIntyre, Jim Pyne, whose
company sells supplies to the DPW, and Kevin Kohrt, authority to hire
the DPW Director.

Chairman of the Charter Commission, Marie Eldridge (File photo), spoke
against moving the authority of hiring the Director to the Board of
Public Works, arguing that the Charter was created to put authority into
the hands of the Town Manager position that they created.

"Please do not vote to amend the Charter piecemeal," she said.

Resident Jack Speranza, an attorney, said that there would be an a
unresolved conflict if the article does not pass, because the previous
Town Counsel's opinion differed with the current Town Counsel, who
states that without a change, the authority for hiring the DPW Director
lies in the hands of the Town Manager.

"With all due respect, the question is not unresolved," asserted Town
Counsel Ray Miyares, who said that the prior Town Counsel's opinion was
based on other assumptions.

"There is no uncertainty," he stated.

Interim Town Manager Clayton Carlisle (File photo) also spoke against passing the
article, saying it "adds a cloud in the course in the execution of the
work of the whole organization under the Board of Selectmen."

The Selectmen voted 3-1 in a meeting to recommend against the passage of
this article, and Selectman Matthew Zettek reminded Town Meeting voters
of that vote, as well as his personal plea against it.

10:39 am
Officer Patrick O'Brien investigated the alleged theft of money by an
employee at a West Main..

HOORAY!!!

Bird's Eye
View

May 3, 2009
— This Canada goose might look like this to the bird following it,
photographed from atop the Lake Whitehall Dam recently.

Lucky

May 4, 2009
— A teen driver said he swerved to avoid an oncoming vehicle, and then
slid sideways with his brakes locked, narrowly missing a telephone pole
as he went off of the road and into a ditch on Hayden Rowe Street. The
teen driver and
passengers said they were uninjured.

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Hanging
Around

May 4, 2009
— Ryan, an employee of Cedar lawn, climbed this tree on the Common today
to selectively cut down dead limbs and trim others appropriately.

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If a Tree Falls...

May 4, 2009
— People surely heard this tree fall onto the Common today, across from
Center School, as it was cut down by Cedar Lawn of Ashland, and then
chipped.

"It was a
hazard tree," said the foreman.

Hopkinton Makes Its Mark at State Science Fair at MIT

The State Science Fair was
held this past weekend at MIT. Hopkinton did an outstanding job
once again! Over 300 projects from over 35 schools across the state
were entered in the competition. Nine out of 10 entries from
Hopkinton, listed below, received awards.~ Leslie Moothart

Courtney Onofrio

The Effect of Turmeric on Learning in Parkinson's Drosophila

1st Place

John Hinkel

Head-Controlled Mouse Interface for the Disabled

1st Place

Thomas Coburn & Patrick Jarvis

Optimal Nutrient Levels on the Bioremediation of Oil Part II

Team 1st Place

Daniel Cunningham & Andrew Ryan

The Effect of Tubercles on Wind Turbines

Team 2nd Place

Gretchen Sileo & Amy Sung

Production of Poly-Beta-Hydroxybutyric Acid in Carbon
Sources

Team 3rd Place

Colleen Murray & Meghan Krueger

Effect of Vitamin E and Flaxseed Oil on ALS in C. elegans

Team 3rd Place

Mitchell Culler & Ryan Foisy

The Effects of Cell Phone Emissions on Drosophila

Team 3rd Place

Alex Brown & Kate Richardson

Using Differential Agars to Identify Environmental Pathogens

Team Honorable Mention

Nicole Cooprider & Mary Kelly

Comparing Methods of Removing Heavy Metals from Water

Team Honorable Mention

Andy Welzel Memorial Walk

Please join us
on Sunday, May 17, for our annual trail walk in memory of Andy
Welzel, who lost his battle with pancreatic cancer in 2006. The walk
will take place at the Hopkinton State Park, “Beach” site, the one
below the dam, at 9:30 AM.

This walk is
being held to celebrate Andy and in keeping with his wish for cancer
awareness.

May 3, 2009 —
Above, School Resource Officer Phil Powers awards a Certificate of
Achievement to Hopkins School fifth grade student Mia Coutinho for
achieving First Place in Massachusetts for her submission in an Amber
Alert contest reflecting the theme, "Bring Our Missing Children Home,"
during a whole-school assembly on Friday. Mia will be honored at
the State House on May 27, 2009 as part of the Missing Children's Day
Ceremony. Her poster is in the national competition.

To see the poster
larger, choose the thumbnail on the left in the row below. And to see
more of the assembly, choose the other thumbnails to see a larger
version of each.

HOORAY!!!

Tryouts

May 3, 2009
— Coaches Michael Preite and Pat McMahon checked out the abilities of
about two dozen boys this afternoon on the varsity baseball field as
they conducted tryouts for the Senior Babe Ruth league.

The Finish
Is Near

May 3, 2009
— Angie Grabmeier makes the turn onto the last stretch at the High
School track without a challenger in sight — except, of course, Alf the
Clown, who ran with several, if not all, races at the HPTA Mini-Marathon
on Sunday. Click on the thumbnails to see more photos.

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Sitting Room Only

May 3, 2009
— There was floor space and standing room only on Saturday evening as
Barbara Kessler hosted ESL's Open Mic and musicians and their followers
signed up to perform.

FREE TREES

May 3, 2009
— Elmwood School Principal Ilene Silver gave out saplings last week
provided by Tree Warden Paul Gleason to all of her students as part of a
yearly Arbor Day program.

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Announced
last week

HHS
Principal Named Super of Freetown-Lakeville Regional School District

May 3, 2009 —
According to the Herald News on the south coast, last week, the
Freetown-Lakeville Regional School Committee and the Superintendency
Union unanimously agreed Monday to hire Hopkinton High School Principal
John McCarthy, of Duxbury as Superintendent.

Mr. McCarthy, who
came to the Hopkinton School District from Duxbury in 2006, has a BA in
Education and Social Studies and a Masters degree in Education
Administration.

It was unclear when Mr. McCarthy will leave Hopkinton High School to
begin his new position.

This
annual clothing drive collects gently worn, career appropriate
clothing and accessories for men and women. These clothes will
be provided to individuals upon completion of a job training
program giving them confidence as they attend job interviews and
start new employment opportunities.

"After achieving their health and fitness goals, many of our
clients have a closet full of career clothing that they are no
longer able to wear. We see this as a fantastic opportunity for
our clients to give a second chance to someone else looking to
achieve their goal of self improvement - in this case, a
career", said Bob Savin (File photo), Owner of Fitness Together
Ashland and Southborough, MA.

Gently worn business attire will be accepted at Fitness Together
at 300 Eliot Street, Ashland, MA 01721 and Fitness Together at
21g Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772 from today through
Noon on Saturday, May 9th. The public is welcome to make
donations. Simply call 508-438-0050 prior to your visit to
ensure that a staff member will be available to assist in
collecting your donation. Receipts for tax purposes will be
available.

Specific items Goodwill is requesting for this special clothing
drive include: men's and women's business suits, dress shirts,
trousers and accessories such as neckties, jewelry and handbags.

Wrong Way

May 2, 2009
— Sgt. Joseph Bennett checks papers, and warns the driver, who appears
to have entered the town's Fruit Street property with a recreational
vehicle in its bed.

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More to Come

May 2, 2009
— The photographer caught this volunteer, as well as her reflection,
writing a message on the new sign at the at the CAA on Saturday, but did
not stay for the rest of the message. We'll check later and report.

Time of the Season

May 2, 2009
— Sixteen teams showed up at Cornell's Field for the National
Invitational Tournament on Saturday. Above is the team Unique Extrusion
from Easton Connecticut.

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CAA Show
Still Going On

Simone Margolis,
Hopkinton, and Jaime Alfonse, Sonoma Valley, CA and formerly well-known
Hopkinton art instructor and painter, pose together next to her painting
at the CAA reception Friday night for the annual Juried Art Show “Art
In Bloom “. Simone won first place in the Oils Division and is a member
of the Hopkinton Garden Club. The Hopkinton Garden Club provided floral
arrangements of ribbon winners of the show. The Show runs all weekend
and is open free to the public.

Spaghetti Feast

May 6
- 5 - 8:00 pm

Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for
children under 10

Relay for
Life team A Glimmer of Hope. To raise money we are hosting a
spaghetti dinner at the Golden Spoon on May 6th from 5-8. All of the
proceeds go to the American Cancer Society.

The meal with
include a soda, a plate of spaghetti severed with meatballs, bread,
salad, and a dessert.

~ Samantha Prescott Co-Captain

HOORAY!!!

Skating for Lymphoma
Cure

May 2, 2009
— Hopkinton's Dan Macmillan joined other Lymphoma survivors in
Westborough to play against former Bruins and raise money for lymphoma
research on Saturday.

Above is the
20-yard trailer donated by Harveys at the Sandy beach parking area,
which is nearly full. Five minutes later, two more mobile vehicles with
trailers driven by neighborhood residents emerged from the woods filled
with junk, including a dismantled, rusted pickup truck.

Warming Up
Babs

May 2, 2009
— Todd Vogel and friends warm up Babs, one of several WW II vintage
tanks that he starts up weekly at his home on Hayward Street.

Candidates' Final Debate

May 2, 2009 — Last night, David Hamacher, left, moderated a live
roundtable debate between the candidates for the Board of Selectmen, the
last of three televised debates on HCAM television. From left, Todd
Cestari, Michelle Gates, and Mary Pratt. Please tune in to HCAM for
listings of the rerunning of the program. All three candidates' website
are featured behind their links on the top of this page.

One Day Left - Friday Night
& Saturday Night

Maria's Caffe Italiano
Closing Doors

May 1, 2009 —
After less than two years of relocating from Main Street to South
Street, Maria Forte (File photo) is calling it quits, blaming the
economy.

Maria's is the second restaurant that has closed in Hopkinton in about
two weeks time. Sauce on Main at 15 Main Street closed the Saturday
before the Marathon

Maria will serve her last meal tomorrow, and would enjoy seeing her
friends and customers at her restaurant beginning at 5:00 pm.

HOORAY!!!

Lymphoma
Suvivors

vs.

Old Time Bruins

Northstar Rink

Westborough

Saturday, May 2, 2009

2:00 pm

Stop by and see
lymphoma survivors play a team of former Bruins players, and give to a
worthy cause.